It's fine if you don't have a good feeling, but the fact that his last trip was to USC is not a good reason to not have a good feeling. He's more familiar with Michigan. Sua craves is going to visit Michigan an Nebraska last but his everyone still has USC as the odds on favorite. Isaac could have just as easily realized on the visit with his mother that lane is pondscum and there's more to the college choice than hot chicks. Theres no sense getting your blood pressure up when a kid plays it this close to the vest.

Sadly, this history did not go our way, but let's look at Levenberry. He visited back and forth, but we all know the last two visits. First he took the long FSU visit, and then he took shorter but good visit to UM. We all know the result, UM got the last visit, but FSU got the commit.

I'm not bringing this up to further traumatize our readership, but just to make a point. The last visit does not necessarily equate to a commitment. I'm not saying that I have any insight into where he will go, only that it isn't a given that taking his last visit to USC means that he is going to USC. It's not over until it's over . . .

The last visit to USC isn't the ony or even primary reason I don't have a good feeling about him. The prestige of playing RB at USC, less competition in this recruiting class, Kiffin's snakeoil charms, bringing his mom along on the trip, reluctance to pull the trigger for us even with our amazing OL and pressure from other recruits (see Shane), our recent inability to pull top 5 skill players, the finest cheerleaders in collge football.

If anyone can compete against all that Hoke has proven to be the man. Believe me I would be thrilled to have you say "I told you so" because Isaac and Treadwell have been my favorites for quite a while. We need some elite speed to spread the field. While I have a bad feeling about Isaac I do have a good feeling about Treadwell.

Has anyone gotten to read the article (paywall)? They say he talks about his three leaders (UM, USC, ND). Might offer some insight. I have heard that ND has been out of the running for a while, but you never know with them.

:C Darn... I feel pessitmistic on this one just because I don't want to get my hopes up and have them crushed. I could honestly see him picking either, he DID visit Michigan like, what, five times? Also I remember someone (I forget who) did a study and found out that distance is the biggest thing for recruits, even when they say it isn't (as in they tend to end up closer to where they live). Either way... Hopefully he decides soon and hopefully its us.

Don't freak out yet. He was supposed to take another visit to one of his other finalists (assumed to be UM) after his USC visit. You could easily spin that in our favor, saying he's now positive Michigan is the place for him. I have no insider information, just offering a different perspective than the "DOOM!" response that's already taking place on here.

Other than Dennis Norfleet, Amara Darboh, Devin Funchess, AJ Williams, Shane Morris, Wyatt Shallman, Deveon Smith, Jaron Dukes, and Jake Butt, Michigan hasn't landed a SINGLE offensive skill position player with a four-star rating from a major service in the last class and a half.

Just because you're a 4-star doesn't mean you're elite. Rivals hands out about 300 four-star ratings. I don't think the 299th-best player in the country is "elite." Like it or not, the "can't miss" wide receivers and running backs have not been coming to Michigan for the past few years.

But what elite prospects at WR/RB have we "missed on"? Dunn was literally committed to Michigan's biggest rival when he landed on our radar, and Stefon Diggs... well, yeah. Beyond that, unless you want to call Jordan Payton elite, or if you want to say we had a shot with DGB, I'm not seeing a wealth of talent on which Michigan swung hard and missed.

Besides, Michigan's two biggest WR/RB targets this year, Laquon Treadwell and Ty Isaac, are still very, very much in play.

I'm not about to bag on Hoke's recruiting, but that line is weak. Qualifying our relatively meh skill position recruiting by saying we didn't really miss on anyone who was seriously interested ignores that recruiting starts with getting top prospects interested.

That despite being in his second year, Hoke has bagged three consensus 4-star running backs in the last class and a half. Are any of them top-50 type guys? No. But how exactly was he supposed to get in early on last year's class, when he literally wasn't the coach at Michigan?

Besides, the skill position recruiting is only "meh" when compared to our big ugly recruiting.

Again, I'm overall very happy with Hoke's recruiting. The three consensus 4 star running backs stat doesn't acknowledge that only one of those is a non situational back and that the stat would change to zero with a strict definition of "consensus".

Missed out on DeAnthony Arnett, Burbridge, Watkins, Dee Hart, Rojo, Baxter, Brennan Clay, etc. Besides Burbridge, none of those were Hoke, but I think Magnus was referring to top skill prospects over the last several years and not just the Hoke misses.

I really don't know how to read this. I know everybody is looking at the recent USC visits, but if he came back to UM for a visit, that could be taken as a negative as well. Remember, he's seen UM a bunch already and is familiar with the staff and the class already. He really doesn't have anymore reason to visit UM.

Justin Davis, a high 4 star Cali RB prospect is announcing on Thursday; supposedly he is a USC lean. Would USC take 2 RBs with limited scholarships? If USC lands Davis, I like our chances a little better.

he was done taking visits two weeks before he took the USC visit. My impression is that he doesn't like the recruiting process anymore. Maybe it's easier to tell people he's not taking anymore visits so people stop calling him. Can't say I blame him. If he wants to, he can call UM and set up a visit without a hassle from media/fans/etc. Best of luck to him either way, tough decisions for young kids.

I think Ty will be deciding very soon. If i had to guess, I'd say by next weekend. While I believe everything he has said in the recruiting process, and respect it wholeheartedly, there has to be some sort of reason why he decided to not take any more visits. I believe he got a little gut feeling within the past day or two of where he wants to go (afterall, he has visited both schools multiple times and has had ample time to think about/compare them) and will let that feeling simmer for the next several days to see if its legitimate. While I have no idea what school he may be favoring, I do believe he has a decent idea at this point and wants to make sure there's no regrets going forward, as he is not the type of recruit to decommit.

ON Scout this Justin Davis fellow is listed as a 5* and the #3 back. At 6'1'' 200lbs. It seems like both he and Ty are their prototype at USC and they hope to land one. They seem to be the same player, and yes Davis has offers from everyone as well.

...have a very tough decision to make with distance, academics and coaching philosophies to consider. I gotta think that some of the top-talent WRs and RBs see the total Michigan package, including highly-rated QB and OL; we will land our share.

I don't know. At least the SEC schools can claim that everyone else is dirty so they have to do the same to compete. Sure, Oregon isn't spotless, but the Pac-12 is squeaky clean compared to the SEC. USC's cheating gives them a pretty significant advantage when you put it in local (conference) context.

That, plus I can't stand USC's "fans". At least fans of SEC schools are rabid about their team, win or lose. Fans of USC talk plenty of shit when they're winning, but when they're losing, they just stop caring.

Well, let's see. He coached for the Raiders. I think they are semi-pro or something. He also coached for U-Tennessee, which is in which conference again? That's right. Lane Kiffin isn't preferable to the SEC, he comes straight from the SEC. (Where he set a standard for sucking at a once-excellent program. Feel free to make your own Derek Dooley comments.)

USC is as good a bet as anyone to win the title in 2012. They return something like 18 offensive/defensive starters from a very good team, including Matt Barkley, and have a favorable schedule (e.g., Oregon and Notre Dame at home). Their toughest non-Oregon game is probably at Stanford, but that's on September 15th, well before Stanford should settle into its post-Luck groove. Plus, with the Pac-12 team with the best record playing a home game for the conference title, USC really just has to protect its home field.

True but most of those guys are gone when Isaac would arrive in '13. The reduced scholarships won't really start to show until '13 or '14. With all of USC's success in the 2000's people seem to forget they were god awful in the 90's

It's one thing to take a four hour drive with your mom to see a college campus. It's another thing to take a four hour flight with your mom to see a college campus. The fact that his final visit was his second trip to USC and that he took his mom with him doesn't make me feel good about our chances. My impression is that his mom wants him to stay local, he wants to go to USC, and he's trying to get his mom's blessing for him to commit to USC. I don't see that ending well for us.

We aren't guaranteed Fitz for two years and I would like to have Isaac on top of the other kids. The more options the better. It's nice to have a monster OLine. It's nicer to have elite running backs running behind a monster OLine (Rawls, Shallman, and Smith seem good but lack the speed to be elite).

Im not really worried if he doesn't commit. We're going to have a full stable of backs, including one of the best, if not the best backs in Ohio committing to us for the 2013 class. We already have a wealth of talent at the position.

I agree, but with one slight difference. If Isaac does not commit I will most definitely be bummed because he is the 2013 commit I've always wanted most in this class. However, our running game will still be one of the top 10/15 in the country going forward with our beastly O-line coming in and the newly installed O. On the other hand, if he commits and lives up to his potential, with Smith and Shallman as bruisers by his side, I see us having a top 5 (perhaps top) rushing attack in the nation a few years from now. And I love me a good running team. That is why I want Isaac to commit so badly

I think Smith is more anxious then the rest of us... what 4* 5* RB wouldnt want to run behind the offensive line we'll have in a couple of years from now? Aside from the talent, do you see how bad the 2012/2013 recruiting classes want a national championhip?! Besides academics, chemisty and opportunity have to be on top of the list... which is why im already impressed with our kids thus far!

Because of depth chart reasons I bet he thinks he's more likely to get that at USC than at Michigan. The lure of being the sixth Trojan to win the Heisman as a RB (5th if you take Reggie Bush off the list) will be too strong. Love to see him in Ann Arbor, but we're in great shape at RB anyhow.

We all love Hoke, but Kiffin is documented as both assistant in the early 2000s and as the current head coach, to be one of the top recruiters in the country. The guy can call a game too. People don't like him for a lot of reasons, but his ability to attract blue chip players is as good as there is.

Sanctions or no sanctions, they are a top 10 program for the next decade. Michigan measures up and in some areas exceeds USC in all areas, but the amazing weather and location. Also there is the matter of the current barren state of USC's tailback depth. That's the main reason why I think Isaac is a goner.

Its not hard to recruit when you have arguably the hottest cheerleaders/coeds in the country, have music, movie and TV stars in your back yard and you live in California. Add to that the tradition USC has, and if you don't recruit well there you don't recruit anywhere.

By this logic why isnt Hawaii a power house? By the way, I would take any beach in Northern Michigan (withe 4 seasons) over a beach in "The Hills"... if thats all it takes to win a kids heart over, why cant we call up Kid Rock and organize some sort of beach party up in the dunes?

I know this goes against the 'let's panic' motif but I tend to believe we'll be just fine either way. If we miss on Isaac (which I hope we do not for the record) we have 10 months to find a replacement and this coaching staff WILL find the right pieces.
Furthermore, Isaac has been to Michigan and knows this coaching staff and his fellow recruits and may just be ready to become a Wolverine.

Its still fresh in my mind when we were borderline with Dunn. The coaches were hammering Isaac very early and it looked so promising that if we didnt land Dunn then we were still golden with Isaac. The coaches have worked really hard on this kid. If we lose out on him, I will be in disbelief. We have an awesome class with the best oline. We already have good rbs at Michigan but I just want one elite RB that everyone in the country has been drooling over including us.

Uuuuhh.. They've only had one full recruiting cycle, and you already have a sense of how recruiting goes for them? I hope your not on the jury if im ever in trouble with the law. Not much evidence there.

My understanding is that Ed Orgeron (msp) is like Mattison of the west coast. Dude can recruit. While kiffen makes me squeem, he does pay his assistants and they kill for him on the recruiting trail Dudes scum, but not dumb.

i might get negative points for this, but where's everyones favorite poster RDT hiding at? as much as i want to believe that wasnt an alias Brian made up to get clicks, i find it odd how we havent heard anything from this guy... i mean isnt he the one that pretty much said Issac was going blue, but he didnt want to take anything away from the kid?

Orgeron is a master recruiter, but I believe he's dirty. I don't have any proof, but I think his name has come up before but has never had anything pinned to him. Mind you, he might just be such a good recruiter that people ASSUME he's dirty, but many times where there is smoke there is fire.

Anyway, I too feel like this one is slipping away from us. USC's scholarship reductions really has to make it tough on them taking potentially 2 elite RBs. However, their roster is a bit weak at RB, so if he feels like he can get two studs this year maybe he won't need more than 1 decent guy next year. But yeah, this has a Garnett/Levenberry/Dunn feel to it that I just can't shake. I hope I'm wrong.

Am I the only one who thinks Deveon Smith is better than Isaac? Don't get me wrong, I'd like to get him, but I'm not going to be devastated. Shallman is a beast too. We're in good shape at running back. I'd be much more bummed about losing Treadwell.

but I still dont think we write the kid off... too have both would be good for competition and allow us to find out which one wants it the most... then you throw Shallman into the mix! talk about taking it up a knotch or two! i would love to see how those practices would turn out!

Remember how Hart would pick up 20 yards and be on his way, only to be dragged down by a corner (and six of his friends, of course; this is Mike Hart we're talking about)? And yet, you knew that he was turn that 1-yard loss when a guard missed an assignment into a 6-yard gain. I'll take that, every time.

Congrats to him cause we're just fine at RB. I already love Deveon way way way better!! He'll be the next Mike Hart, only stronger!! Now we can take that scholly we were saving and get another stud DT or WR.

The USC fans I know all think they've got him. They think he would have committed to Michigan already if he was so sold on them because he's been there so many times. Also, they all claim they've gotten word that his visit to USC went very well.

Edit: wow, was late with that post. Hadn't seen the commitment rumors.

Here come the domnos 'a fallin' again...all the elite recruits left are going to head to other schools other than Michigan again. Just like last year. It's definitely a downside to the hot starts we have to these recruiting cycles. Ugh.